Where you stay in Delhi matters more than in most cities, because traffic can turn a short distance into an hour. Pick a base near a metro line and close to the sights you care about most, and consider a night in Agra rather than doing the Taj Mahal as a long day trip. Here are the four areas that work best for a first visit, with our pick in each.
Central New Delhi, around Connaught Place and Janpath: the best all-round base
This is the most convenient area for a first visit. The wide avenues of Lutyens’ Delhi, the shops and restaurants of Connaught Place and the Janpath market are on the doorstep, and the metro reaches Old Delhi, Humayun’s Tomb and the Qutub Minar in minutes. The Imperial New Delhi is the splurge: a 1936 landmark on Janpath with a palm-lined drive, a museum’s worth of historic art, two pools, a spa and The Spice Route restaurant. On a budget, Bloomrooms @ Janpath sits on a quiet lane a few minutes away, with bright, clean rooms, comfortable beds, free Wi-Fi and two metro stations within a five-minute walk.
Old Delhi, by Jama Masjid: for atmosphere and food
Staying inside the old city puts the Red Fort, Jama Masjid and the food lanes of Chandni Chowk on foot, and the evenings, when the call to prayer echoes over the rooftops, are unforgettable. Haveli Dharampura is the place to do it: a restored 200-year-old mansion with 14 rooms around a carved courtyard, the rooftop Lakhori restaurant, kite flying at sunset and Kathak dance at weekends. Be prepared for noise, crowds and a short walk from the car drop-off.
Aerocity, by the airport: for late arrivals and early starts
Aerocity is a purpose-built hotel district beside the airport, calm and well organised, with the metro running into the centre. It is ideal for your first or last night, or if you start the Golden Triangle at dawn, since the roads south to Agra and Jaipur are close by. Lemon Tree Premier, Delhi Airport is our pick, a reliable, good-value hotel with 280 rooms, an outdoor pool, a spa and three restaurants and bars, about ten minutes from the terminals.
Agra, on Fatehabad Road: for a Taj Mahal sunrise
A night in Agra lets you reach the Taj Mahal at opening without a 3:00 departure from Delhi, and gives you time for Agra Fort and the Baby Taj too. Fatehabad Road is Agra’s main hotel strip, a few minutes by car from the Taj. Courtyard by Marriott Agra is a comfortable, good-value five-star with 189 rooms, a pool, the Tattva Spa and free parking, about seven minutes from the Taj. Remember not to plan your Agra night before a Friday, when the Taj is closed.
Matching base to trip
For a classic first visit, The Imperial or Bloomrooms @ Janpath. For Old Delhi’s food and atmosphere, Haveli Dharampura. For flights at odd hours or dawn day trips, Lemon Tree Premier in Aerocity. For the Taj Mahal at sunrise, Courtyard by Marriott Agra.
Practical tips
Prices rise in the cool, busy season from October to March and around big festivals and weddings, so book early for November and December. Breakfast is charged separately at most of these hotels unless your rate includes it, and many hotels can arrange airport pickups and drivers for day trips.
